A known power conversion apparatus for power conversion between AC power and DC power includes a plurality of semiconductor modules, a smoothing capacitor, and a pair of bus bars connecting the semiconductor modules and a smoothing capacitor together (see PTL 1 listed below). Each of the semiconductor modules includes a main body portion including a built-in semiconductor device and power terminals protruding from the main body portion. The power terminals include DC terminals electrically connected to the capacitor via the bus bars and an AC terminal electrically connected to an AC load. The plurality of semiconductor modules are arrayed in a thickness direction of the power terminals.
Each of the bus bars includes terminal connection portions welded to the respective DC terminals and a common portion electrically connected to the plurality of terminal connection portions. The common portion is arranged at a position where the common portion covers the AC terminal in a protruding direction thereof.
In recent years, there has been a growing demand to miniaturize power conversion apparatuses. Every effort has thus been made to examine a configuration in which the common portions formed on the respective bus bars of the pair are arranged between the sets of the plurality of power terminals (see FIG. 19 and FIG. 20). This allows effective utilization of space between the sets of the plurality of power terminals as space where the common portion is arranged. This in turn enables a reduction in wasted space and thus in the size of the power conversion apparatus.